REMOVE STREET DOGS, U’KHAND HC TELLS GOVT

NAINITAL: In a landmark order on checking canine terror, the Uttarakhand high court on Thursday directed the state government to ensure there are no stray dogs on roads of the Himalayan state within six months.

The high court also noted that the state government may consider framing a law to kill “dangerous stray dogs”. The directions were given by the division bench of justices VK Bisht and Alok Singh in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Nainital-based Girish Chandra Kholia in August 2017.

The PIL highlighted the issue of increasing dog menace in the state. It said in the past five years, over 11,000 dog bite cases have been reported in the state.

The court directed the chief secretary to issue necessary directions to all authorities concerned to take appropriate steps for checking the dog menace in their respective areas.

The court also made it clear that the directions issued by the chief secretary will be binding on all authorities, including municipal bodies and other local bodies.

“First of all the concerned authority will determine the number of stray dogs in every town, city and village. Necessary arrangements shall be made for the construction of shelter house in every place,” it said.

The court said stray dogs should be kept in shelter houses.

It directed the state to publish an advertisement, “asking general public and also NGOs, who are interested in the matter, to come forward and to take such stray dogs with them, if they are against the idea of shelter”.

The high court said the noncompliance of the directions issued by the chief secretary to the local authorities will be treated as a contempt of court.

THE COURT SAID DIRECTIONS ISSUED BY CHIEF SECRETARY WILL BE BINDING ON ALL AUTHORITIES